Air supply apparatus for a fuel cell

Abstract

In an air supply apparatus of a fuel cell having a fuel electrode and an air electrode, the air sucked in by an air blower is fed as cooling air to the cooling are passage groove, and a manifold is provided as a communicating member to communicate the exhaust side of a cooling air passage groove with the suction side of a reaction air passage groove (air electrode) such that both cooling air and reaction air are fed to the fuel cell by driving a single air blower. With this, the consumed electricity needed to drive the air supply fan can be reduced, and an increase in the size and weight can be suppressed. In addition, a flow-uniforming device such as current plates, a punching plate or a sponge plate are provided in the manifold.

1. An air supply apparatus for a fuel cell that changes chemical energy of a fuel supplied through a fuel electrode and oxidant supplied through an air electrode to electric energy, comprising:
 an air blower sucking in air to supply to a cooling air passage of the fuel cell as cooling air and to the air electrode of the fuel cell as reaction air; and 
 a manifold communicating an exhaust side of the cooling air passage and a suction side of the air electrode, such that at least a portion of cooled exhaust expelled from the cooling air passage is directed, as the reaction air, to the air electrodes by said manifold, 
 wherein said manifold has at least one exhaust port open to an exterior, and 
 wherein a surface area of said at least one exhaust port is sized such that flow rate of the cooled exhaust to be fed to the air electrodes is adjusted. 
 
     
     
       2. An air supply apparatus of a fuel cell that changes chemical energy, of a fuel supplied through a fuel electrode and oxidant supplied through an air electrode, to electric energy, comprising:
 an air blower sucking in air to supply to the air electrode of the fuel cell; 
 a manifold disposed between the air blower and the fuel cell and having a passage through which the sucked air is supplied to the air electrode of the fuel cell; and 
 a flow-uniforming device disposed in the passage of the manifold such that flow rate of the sucked air to be supplied to the air electrode of the fuel cell is made uniform, and wherein the flow-uniforming device comprises current plates and a punching plate. 
 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the passage of the manifold comprises an expanding section that expands progressively towards a downstream end and an air discharge vent connected to the downstream end of the expanding section, such that the current plates are disposed in the expanding section and the punching plate is disposed downstream of the current plate at a position between the expanding section and the air discharge vent. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the current plates are disposed in the expanding section in such a manner that distances therebetween grow progressively larger towards the downstream end. 
     
     
       5. An air supply apparatus of a fuel cell that changes chemical energy, of a fuel supplied through a fuel electrode and oxidant supplied through an air electrode, to electric energy, comprising:
 an air blower sucking in air to supply to the air electrode of the fuel cell; 
 a manifold disposed between the air blower and the fuel cell and having a passage through which the sucked air is supplied to the air electrode of the fuel cell; and 
 a flow-uniforming device disposed in the passage of the manifold such that flow rate of the sucked air to be supplied to the air electrode of the fuel cell is made uniform, 
 wherein the flow-uniforming device comprises a sponge plate. 
 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein thickness of the sponge plate is increased in regions in which pressure applied by the sucked air increases.